The Physics Cafe Story

What do you need to know about Measurement & Uncertainty.

Yes we know. Fascinating and intriguing may not be the first descriptors that come to mind at the very mention of this topic. In fact, and also very unfortunately, it has been a sufferer of chronic neglect by generations and generations of students (and even teachers) 🙁

Mundane as it may seem, we cannot discredit this topic for laying out the foundations to classical and modern Physics. On a more personal note, it is thanks to this topic that students and teachers alike can make sense of scientific experiments, mind-boggling exam questions etc… As such, we would like for you to embrace this poor ignored topic, and perhaps reverse your preconceived notions about it. Let us show you that Measurement and Uncertainty can be a joy to learn about!

The larger scale of things…

Now first, let us put things into perspective for you… Actually, we’ll just let this applet do the talking.

The Kilogram

Also, DID YOU KNOW that the kilogram is defined by a physical artifact, and in fact, is the only SI unit that is so? Here’s a video on the scientific community’s efforts to eradicate the kilogram’s dependence on a physical object.

But wait a minute, it is also highly probable that this omnipresent unit may be rendered obsolete in future! Scary isn’t it, to fathom that this has the potential to upset the achievements of previous well-established scientific work, and corrupt our current understanding of the world.

Apart from SI units, measurering apparatus and equipment are big stars in this topic, so let’s zoom in onto them. The infamous vernier caliper, micrometre screw gauge, and other equipment make their debut typically as this point. To make things easier for you, we even found a vernier caliper simulator so that you can practise using one! Trust us, we know how easy it is to forget how to use one of these, so here it is to keep it fresh in your minds: Vernier caliper simulator

In essence, this topic is all about data – collecting, recording, and last but not least, analysing them. Plotting graphs is an important skill that physics students need to grasp in order to make sense of data. Here’s an interesting read on the significance of graphs and trends: Why we graph data instead of trusting other statistical measurements

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That’s all we have for you for now. Stay tuned to find out what more we have to offer! We hope you’ve had a good read:)